Rewatching last year’s 27-point loss in Las Vegas gives Spartans ‘sick’ feeling all over again

Share this:

De La Salle’s Henry To’oto’o (11) runs the ball for a gain against St. Francis in the third quarter of their high school football game in Mountain View, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. De La Salle beats St. Francis 33-15. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)

CONCORD — One year later, the video doesn’t look any better for De La Salle.

“I watched it about four times the last couple of days,” coach Justin Alumbaugh said. “It kind of makes me sick. It makes the players pretty sick, too. We didn’t compete how we should have.”

Bishop Gorman-Las Vegas — USA Today’s national champion in 2014, 2015 and 2016 — is no stranger to putting a hurt on teams and last year in the desert De La Salle was on the receiving end of the pain.

Gorman scored 21 points in the second quarter, erasing an early touchdown deficit, and went on to beat the Spartans 34-7.

With Goman visiting De La Salle on Friday night for a rematch, last year’s game — in all its misery — was mandatory viewing for the Spartans.

On that night, De La Salle lost Kairee Robinson to a concussion and faded after the star running back went down.

“First half we were moving the ball well, pretty consistently,” Alumbaugh said. “Then a fumble return for a touchdown, then we fumbled on a third-and-1. We didn’t make anybody miss on offense and then defensively we’d get them into third-and-8 and they’d complete a 50-yard pass because they’d break contain. We didn’t do a lot right. I thought when Kairee went down, we gave up.

“The first half and second half were two completely different halves, and that’s pretty disgraceful from my standpoint. That’s something we’re working to remedy.”

Just like last season, Gorman is 1-2 and De La Salle is undefeated as the teams prepare to meet.

Gorman opened this season with a 42-0 loss to reigning national champion Mater Dei-Santa Ana — it was 14-0 at halftime — and followed that with a 13-7 loss to Arizona power Centennial.

The Gaels ended the skid Friday, winning at home 31-21 over Orem-Utah.

“This is going to be a big redemption game for everyone that was here last year,” De La Salle tight end/defensive end Isaiah Foskey said. “We have to try to get that smell off of us. They have some good athletes. We need to contain them, limit them to what they can do.”

Gorman’s offense has yet to shift into high gear. The Gaels are averaging 84.6 yards per game rushing (2.7 per carry) and 199.6 yards per game passing.

But that’s probably indicative of the high level of competition Gorman has faced than its ability to rev up the engine.

For De La Salle, this matchup is still an opportunity to see where it stands at the midpoint of the regular season.

“You can’t hide behind the fact that they’re one of the best teams in the country,” Alumbaugh said. “They put it on us last year. So, yeah, this is a big measuring stick for where we are. We want to perform well Friday, for sure. It will give us a good understanding where we are.”

Linebacker/running back Henry To’oto’o hopes that understanding is nothing like last season’s Gorman result.

“Probably the worst feeling ever, going down there and losing,” he said. “Felt like we wasted a trip. They were stacked, too. They’re a great team. Kairee went down, and nobody was able to step up.”

Darren Sabedra is a sports reporter and the high school sports editor, overseeing prep coverage throughout the Bay Area. He's been with the Bay Area News Group since the early 1990s and has covered many sports beats, including Stanford football and basketball, pro baseball and the NFL.